Standalone Pages

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Losing isn't good enough for Penn St.

College football season is here. It's a joyous time for fans, and I am very excited. There is one program that sickens me though. One program which is so vile that cheering against them is petty and inadequate.

Penn St. football was rotten to the core. Even after multiple witnesses saw Sandusky raping children, nothing meaningful was done about it. There were at least five people, at Penn St. in a position to put a stop to his behavior. There were the four powers that be, that covered this up, and of course there was Sandusky. The actions of the latter were so depraved, that we're inclined to not hold Penn St. accountable. Had he been doing a much less harmful act, like giving money to players, his own isolated actions would have been more than enough for the wrath of the NCAA and the college football world to come down upon Penn St. But, what he did was so sick that we don't want to place blame.

There is blame! Had Paterno and others behaved in a rational manner, Sandusky would have been behind bars years ago. Yet, they covered it up and because of this more children were raped! McQueary (not one of the five, so is it six?) witnesses Sandusky raping a ten year old boy. Does he report it to the police? No he does not. Why? Why on earth does McQueary not go directly to the police? Why does he discuss it first with his father and then Paterno? Why is this (not the only incident witnessed mind you!) covered up?

The answer is because of Penn St. football. I don't need to go into the other witnesses. The reports of pictures of children being passed around by Penn. St. boosters. Another individual involved with Second Mile being charged for sexual abuse (why this didn't bring more cause for concern regarding allegations against Sandusky is suspect). A prosecutor who declined prosecution not only in regards to Sandusky, but prosecution of a Penn St. football player for rape as well vanishing. I don't even want to get into the most sinister potential implications. The level of depravity that might have existed in State College and around the Penn St football program.

For the sake of Penn St. football, a child rapist was allowed to continue his activities. This was not one rogue individual, this was a calculated cover-up for the sake of Penn. St. football and by those in control of Penn St. football. Some say Penn St. football should not be punished, that the players had nothing to do with this. Well, let's pretend this was a camp for kids. Let's say this camp happened to be raping the kids. Do we fire the people raping the kids and continue on, or do we shut down the camp? You shut down the camp! If it was one person solely responsible, one isolated incident perhaps you continue, but you do not continue this horrid source of abuse in the face of its victims under the premise that you fired those responsible!

Prior to punishment being handed out, I said the only way Penn St. football could show contrition was to shut down the football program. I felt it would not happen because of financial implications. The Big 10 doesn't want Penn St. shut down either, it would mess with their TV deals. I felt like we would likely see something short of the only punishment that would really, truly show contrition.

As it turns out, we have had a rather unrepentant Penn St. I mean all they did was let a bunch of kids get raped, no biggie, right? When the NCAA said they wanted to give them the death penalty, Penn St. said no deal. Nope, not going to happen, because you know, that would be like actually punishing us. So instead, they get the USC treatment. Even then, we hear Penn. St. lawyers and trustees muttering in the background about how unfair it is that Penn. St. should be punished at all.

Penn St. football stood by a rapist instead of the victims. Penn St. football stood by its false reputation instead of by what is right. Penn St. football is an insult to all those people victimized by Sandusky (and let's just hope it was only Sandusky). There is no more vile a presence in the history of college football. I hope they lose every game, and that's not nearly enough. Penn St. has rich boosters, which may or may not approve of Sandusky’s behavior. They're not going anywhere, but what they stand for is abhorrent.

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